Al-Nusra fighters in Syria.
The leader of al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, a man by the name of Abu Mohammed al-Joulani, (probably not his real name) identified as the current leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, gave a sit down TV interview on December 19, 2013 where he talked openly about the situation on the ground in Syria.
He indicated, among other things that al-Nursra controls about 70% of Syria already (not the FSA) and that it will only be a few days before he can declare a military victory in Syria?
Al-Nusra’s goal is to overthrow the Assad government and impose an Pan-Islamic state under the Sharia (the moral code and religious law of Islam) and aims to reinstate the Caliphate. Which would be a disaster for the region and the entire Middle East.
The group was declared a terrorist organization by the United States in 2012, but hasn’t prevented the U.S. from providing aid to the group indirectly through the Free Syrian Army (see article: Confirmed: US Shipping weapons to Syria – al-Nusra mystery sponsor revealed http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2013/03/confirmed-us-shipping-weapons-to-syria.html).
“The battle is almost over, we have covered about 70 percent of it, and what’s left is small. We will achieve victory soon. We pray to God to culminate these efforts with victory. It’s only a matter of days,” al-Joulani said in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera’s Tayseer Allouni from an “undisclosed location in Syria.”
Al-Joulani asked that his face be hidden during the interview because of security fear. Al-Jazzera was all to happy happy to accommodate the terrorist even offering him tea and refreshments to drink?
Known for using extreme violence , particularly suicide attacks as part of its fight against Presidenr Bashar al-Assad’s troops, al-Nusra, along with other Syrian rebel groups, including those directly support by the United States in some cases have been accused by the UN of committing ghastly war crimes against government forces and civilians.
See compilation of FSA and Al-Nusra crimes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCzDYAsx9-4
During the interview al-Joulani threatened Saudi Arabia with veiled threats:
“If the Assad regime remained in power, which is in the interest of the super powers and the Safavids, then the next target will be the Arabian Peninsula, now known as Saudi Arabia.”
“The majority of oil is located to the east of Saudi Arabia, in al-Ihsaa, Qateef, and Dammam. These areas would be targeted… taken away and given to the new ally, Iran”, al-Joulani warned.
In the interview al-Joulani indicated that there is some infighting between al-Qaeda factions in Syria.
According to al-Jazzera “Al-Nusra suffered a blow in the recent months when hundreds of its foreign fighters defected with their weapons, to join another al-Qaeda linked group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” (source: Al-Qaeda leader in Syria speaks to al-Jazzera http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/12/al-qaeda-leader-syria-speaks-al-jazeera-20131218155917935989.html).
For more on al-Nusra Front http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Nusra_Front#cite_note-14